Leicestershire's wicketkeeper in 285 matches between 1930 and 1951, Percy 'Paddy' Corrall, who died in February at the age of 87, was lucky to survive one of the worst on-field accidents seen in county cricket when a hook-shot by Cyril Washbrook laid him out with a fractured skull. This was in July 1933, at the Aylestone Road ground, and Corrall was hospitalised, the source of much anxiety, for some time. But he returned for the 1934 season, and kept well, two of his bowlers being among the finest in England, George Geary and Ewart Astill. Corrall, born in Leicester on July 16, 1906, had taken over as the county's keeper from Tom Sidwell, and was highly regarded for his neat and undemonstrative work behind the stumps. By the end of his career he had held 381 catches and made as many as 187 stumpings, 10 victims coming in one match against Sussex at Hove in 1936. On the same ground, two years earlier, Corrall had made his highest score, 64. His lifetime average was just under 10, but he was often a useful tailend batsman, defending hard or pushing for quick runs, small, dapper and irritating to opposing bowlers. Serving Leicestershire throughout the halcyon 1930s, he found himself in India during the war, and appeared for a strong Europeans side in the Pentangular Tournament. Returning to county cricket after the hostilities, he was now in his 40th year, but played on for several more summers, and received £2333 from his benefit in 1949. After retirement as a player, Corrall joined the first-class umpires' list from 1952 to 1958.
Wisden Cricket Monthly